While applying for college can be exciting, it also involves
preparing for interviews and writing essays which can sometimes make the
process very taxing. However, the procedures are not just stressful for the
applicant, universities also go through a tough time considering the fact that
they receive thousands of applications each round yet they only have a third of
the chances available. Nonetheless, if you are preparing to make such an application,
it's important to understand what the institutions look for so that you are
better prepared for whatever comes your way.
1. Academic Performance
Colleges employ different processes in screening and
admitting students. In general, there are some factors that they all highly
regard --an applicant's academic performance is one of those things. Your class
rank and GPA are indicators of your academic standing, meaning just like a good
class rank, a higher GPA provides you with better chances.
2. Admission Essay
Universities also evaluate the information you give in an
admission essay to assess your interests and find out whatever is unique about
you. Some colleges place higher importance on the essay than others; therefore,
to be on the safe side, it's important that you get it done right from the word
go.
3. Recommendation Letter
A good number of
learning institutions ask for a recommendation letter from your principal,
teacher and counselor so that they get a professional outlook about where you
stand with regard to education matters. To help you obtain such letters, it's
important that you get a teacher with whom you have good relations.
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| Strict Admissions Standards: Flickr Michael Pecirno |
4. Extracurricular Activities
You may have interest in different extracurricular
activities during your time in high school, but the number of those activities
doesn't matter if there's none you have been truly committed to. Colleges
prefer to know how much time you have allocated to each and what you have
achieved by taking part in those activities.
These are only a few of the things that universities look
into prior to admitting students and due to the limited spaces available, the
minimum requirements keep getting higher. Currently, only the most qualified
learners can be assured of places in their preferred university.
Still, even when you
are confident in your application, it's good to keep in touch with the
institution to find out how things are going. For instance, you can inquire
about any additional issues they may want to look at in detail, and also visit
the school so you are viewed as a serious applicant.
Chances for Creative Students in Universities
Admission processes are overwhelming and with the current
tight admission criteria, creative students have limited chances of making it
into leading universities. With these limitations, it may seem as if such
learners do not have sufficient opportunities to advance their creativity, but
they do.
There has always been great emphasis on education; this is
only applied to subjects that learners need to grasp to do well in their exams.
If you are a creative person however, you shouldn't be discouraged because by
expressing yourself, your mind gets more involved, and you become more
efficient. With such a creative mind, you don't have to focus on questions with
straightforward answers; you can read between the lines and show exactly what
you feel about a particular subject.
There are colleges in which artistic individuals can enroll
to advance their skill set to be able to venture into the creative industry.
Hence, even though you may miss out on the top level institutions, art
universities and colleges can provide you with an equally good opportunity to
establish yourself in the industry or even set up your own business in the
future.
Ryan Ayers
is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to education and technology. In this article, he
talks about the admissions system and how right brained students may have
complications getting into accredited universities. He aims to encourage
further education through University of Florida Online
